Achieving long-term ecological sustainability with continued economic growth and human well-being remains one of the biggest challenges facing the Asia Pacific region. Countries in the region recognize that deteriorating land, water and air quality, and the loss of ecosystems and their services, undermine socioeconomic development. It is also realized that climate change is exacerbating these problems, through for example increased thermal stress, more severe and frequent droughts, storms and floods, sea-level rise and accompanied coastal inundation and salt water intrusion, all increasing the vulnerabilities of people and their livelihoods. Furthermore, dependency on fossil fuels for energy services and the management of chemical pose particular challenges in the region.

The Environment and Energy practice in Asia and the Pacific work with the vision to effectively assist countries to preserve and sustainably use local and global environmental assets for achieving sustainable development outcomes. We deliver our work through the UNDP country offices supported by a regional team of technical experts and advisors. We facilitate access to environmental funding sources, assist in preparing and implementing projects, support policy dialogues, disseminate best practices, and share knowledge. Our work is responsive to national priorities and is based on UNDP’s mandate to build national capacity for human development.

Our work is structured around the following approaches:

• Mainstreaming environment and energy:
  We enhance capacities to incorporate environment and energy into national development strategies, planning and budgeting processes. The Poverty and Environment Initiative, for example, promotes integration of environmental considerations into local and national development plans and sector policies.

• Mobilizing environmental financing:
  We assist countries to identify, design and implement programmes that are funded by a variety of sources (e.g. GEF, SCCF, LDCF, Carbon Markets, Bilateral Donors). Currently the team supports 334 GEF funded projects worth over USD 620 million.

• Promoting adaptation to climate change:
  We support countries in the development of national and sector specific adaptation strategies and assist them to pilot specific adaptation measures. We also assist country offices in “climate proofing” of regular development programmes.

• Expanding access to environmental and energy services for the poor:
  Many of our programmes enhance the resilience of ecosystem and natural resource management and work with communities to reduce their vulnerability to climate change impacts. For example, the Mangroves for the Futures programme supports coastal communities invest in conservation for sustainable development.